Display and carrying package for flat, flexible merchandise

ABSTRACT

A display carrying package for flat, flexible merchandise, such as bed sheets and the like, characterized by fold-open construction which affords greater area for display of the merchandise and advertising material associated therewith while providing a conventional size package for shelf storage in the folded condition. This package includes a stiffener of flat, stiff, sheet material conforming generally with the dimensions of the package and having at least one scored fold line thereacross for insertion of the stiffener within the merchandise and for folding the merchandise about the fold line on itself for storage on the shelf in a conventional size package and for unfolding the package for display thereof while maintaining the package of merchandise relatively stiff for easy handling. The package further includes a closed transparent bag for receiving therewithin and enclosing the merchandise with the stiffener therein to form an enclosed package and for receiving advertising material therein.

United States Patent [1 1 Kester DISPLAY AND CARRYING PACKAGE FOR FLAT, FLEXIBLE MERCHANDISE v [75] Inventor: Melvin E. Kester, Concord, NC. [73] Assignee: Canon Mills C0., Kannapolis, NC.

[22] Filed: Jan. 17, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 324,415

[52] US. Cl...; 206/4533, 206/459, 206/492 [51] Int. Cl. B65d 65/16, 365d 77/24 [58] Field of Search 206/4533, 46 AP, 281,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,699 9/1938 O'Neill et a1, 206/4533 2,732,937 l/l956 Braun 206/4533 X 2,771,986 11/1956 Bekoff 206/4529 X 2,773,340 12/1956 McCarthy 206/46 AP X 3,104,759 9/1963 Hansen 206/78 B 3,302,777 2/1967 Sparks 206/78 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 285,296 2/1928 Great Britain 206/281 339,174 8/1959 Switzerland 206/281 535,701 l/l957 Canada 206/492 [111 3,865,234 451 Feb-.11, 1975 Primary E.\'aminerLeonard Summer Attorney, Agent, or FirmParrott, Bell, Seltzer','Park & Gibson [57] ABSTRACT A display carrying packagefor flat. flexible merchandise,.such as bed sheets and the like, characterized by fold-open construction which affords greater area for display of the merchandise and advertising material associated therewith while providing a conventional size package for shelf storage in the folded condition. This package includes a stiffener of flat. stiff. sheet material conforming generally with the dimensions of the package and having at least one scored fold line thereacross for insertion of the stiffener within the merchandise and for folding the merchandise about the foldline on itself for storage on the shelf in a conventional size package and for unfolding the package for display thereof while maintaining the package of merchandise relatively stiff for easy handling. The package further includes a closed transparent bag for receiving therewithin'and enclosing the merchandise with the stiffener therein to form an enclosed package and for receiving advertising material therein.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEB FEB] 1 I975 SHEET 10F 2 This invention relates to a display and carrying package for flat, flexible merchandise, such as bed sheets and the like, characterized by a fold-open construction which affords greater area for display of the merchandise and advertising material therewith while providing a conventional size package for shelf storage in the folded condition.

In the merchandising of flat, flexible products, particularly bed sheets and the like, the retail outlets normally require a standard size package for stacking and placing of the bed sheets on the shelvesin the retail stores. Accordingly, the manufacturers are required to package these products in conventional, standard size packages. The conventional, standard size packages necessarily limit the amount of the bed sheet which is visible to the customer when examining the package of bed sheets in the retail outlet and limits the amount of advertising material in the form of inserts or otherwise which can be placed in the package.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved package for flexible, flat merchandise, such asbed sheets or the like, which will expose more of the product for view by the potential purchaser and which will allow the use of larger advertising inserts, while maintaining a conventional and standard size package for shelf storage.

It has been found by this invention that the above object may be accomplished by providing a display and carrying package characterized by a fold-open construction which affords greater area for display of the merchandise and advertising material associated therewith while providing a conventional size package for shelf storage in the folded condition. The package com- FIG. I is a perspective, exploded view of the display 7 and carrying package of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one side of the display and carrying package of this invention showing the package in substantially the unfolded condition thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the other side of the display and carrying package of this invention in the fully unfolded condition;

prises stiffener means comprising a flat, stiff sheet of material conforming generally with the dimensions of the package and having at least one scored fold line thereacross for insertion of stiffener means within the merchandise and for folding the package about the fold line on itself for storage on the shelf in a conventional size package and for unfolding for display thereof while maintaining the package of merchandise relatively stiff for easy handling. The package further comprises a closed transparent bag for receiving therewithin and enclosing the merchandise with the stiffener means therein to form an enclosed package and for receiving advertising material therein. The bag means is flexible for the aforesaid folding action of the package.

Preferably, the display and carrying package further includes a folded over sleeve means for being placed on and covering one end of the merchandise within the bag means, and a flexible sheet of advertising material for being placed over one side of the merchandise within the bag means and being secured at one end thereof to one end of the sleeve means for a reciprocating action thereof within the bag means when the package is folded and unfolded to maintain the sheet of advertising material in the desired position and alignment within the bag means. Also, it is preferable to have a pair ofv spaced, parallel, scored fold lines on the stiffener means for ease of folding of the merchandise.

Some of the objects and advantages of this invention having been set forth, other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds when taken in con junction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display and carrying package of this invention in the folded condition for shelf storage and illustrating one corner being'manually unfolded by a prospective customer or the like;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views of the display and carrying package of this invention illustrating the reciprocating action of the advertising insert during folding and unfolding; and

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken generally along the line 77 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the display and carrying package for bed sheets and the like of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10.

This package 10 comprises a stiffener 11 consisting of a flat, generally rectangular, stiff sheet of suitable material, such as chipboard, cardboard or the like. The stiffener 11 includes a pair of spaced, parallel, scored fold-lines l2 and 13 extending transversely thereacross at generally the middle portion thereof for folding of the stiffener upon itself along the fold lines 12 and 13. The stiffener is inserted centrally within a prefolded bed sheet S for allowing the prefolded bed sheet and the package 10 to fold upon itself and to unfold, while maintaining the prefolded bed sheet relatively stiff for easy handling. The spaced apart pair of fold lines facilitate folding upon itself of the prefolded bed sheet due to the thickness of the prefolded bed sheet.

The package 10 further includes a fold-over sleeve 15 for being placed on and covering one end of the prefolded bed sheet, as shown in the drawings. This foldover sleeve may be constructed of any suitable mate- .rial, such as paper coated with foil, etc., and may inspaced glue spots, indicated in dotted lines in FIG. I at This construction of the fold-over sleeve 15 and the sheet of advertising material 16 allows proper positioning of the advertising material on one side of the prefolded sheets during folding and unfolding of the package 10 due to the securement or anchoring of the sheet of advertising material 16 at the fold-over sleeve 15 resulting in a reciprocating action up and down of thesheet of advertising material 16 as indicated at A and B in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, the sheet of advertising material 16 is always maintained in the proper position.

The package 10 further includes a closed transparent bag 20 constructed of any suitable material, such as polyethylene, for receiving therewithin and enclosing the prefolded bed sheet S with the stiffener 11 therein, the sleeve 15 and the advertising sheet 16 thereon to form an enclosed'package. The bag 20 is flexible for the folding action of the package 10 and completely encloses the package for holding the components in proper position and alignment therewithin. The bag may be gusseted on the sides thereof and may be closed at the ends thereof by heat sealing or other suitable means.

Thus, it may be seen that a display and carrying package for bed sheets is provided which in the folded condition thereof, as shown in FIG. 4, provides a conventional and standard size package of bed sheets for stor age on retail counters or shelves in stacks with other packages of other manufacturers and allows the package to be folded open, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for affording a greater area for display of the bed sheets and design thereon, as shown in FIG. 3, and the utiliza tion and display ofa larger sheet of advertising material on the other side thereof, as shown in FIG. 2. This improved package gives sales personnel in the retail medium a selling aid at the point of sales level and affords a vehicle for improved communication with the consumer at the point of sale.

In the specification and drawings, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of this invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and description sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:

. 1. A display and carrying package for flat, flexible merchandise, suchas bed sheets and the like, charac terized by a fold-open construction which affords greater area for display of the merchandise and advertising material associated therewith while providing a conventional size package for shelf storage in the 4 folded condition; said package comprising:

flat, flexible merchandise having fold-open dimensions greater than a conventionally desired, shelf size package;

a stiffener comprising a flat, stiff, sheet of material conforming generally with the fold-open dimensions of said merchandise and positioned and inserted within said merchandise in the fold-open position thereof to render said merchandise relatively stiff for easy handling, said stiffener including at least one fold line thereacross and generally centrally thereof for folding of said merchandise and said stiffener about said fold line to a folded position in which said merchandise has generally the conventionally desired, shelf size dimensions;

a closed, flexible, transparent bag disposed around and enclosing said merchandise with said stiffener means therein in the fold-open position thereof forming an enclosed transparent package for display of said merchandise in the fold-open position while folding with said package for shelf storage;

a fold-over sleeve placed around and covering one end of said merchandise; and

a flexible sheet of advertising material positioned on one side of said merchandise and secured at one end thereof to one end of said sleeve for a reciprocating action thereof when said package is folded open to maintain said sheet of advertising in the desired position and alignment. 

1. A display and carrying package for flat, flexible merchandise, such as bed sheets and the like, characterized by a fold-open construction which affords greater area for display of the merchandise and advertising material associated therewith while providing a conventional size package for shelf storage in the folded condition; said package comprising: flat, flexible merchandise having fold-open dimensions greater than a conventionally desired, shelf size package; a stiffener comprising a flat, stiff, sheet of material conforming generally with the fold-open dimensions of said merchandise and positioned and inserted within said merchandise in the fold-open position thereof to render said merchandise relatively stiff for easy handling, said stiffener including at least one fold line thereacross and generally centrally thereof for folding of said merchandise and said stiffener about said fold line to a folded position in which said merchandise has generally the conventionally desired, shelf size dimensions; a closed, flexible, transparent bag disposed around and enclosing said merchandise with said stiffener means therein in the fold-open position thereof forming an enclosed transparent package for display of said merchandise in the fold-open position while folding with said package for shelf storage; a fold-over sleeve placed around and covering one end of said merchandise; and a flexible sheet of advertising material positioned on one side of said merchandise and secured at one end thereof to one end of said sleeve for a reciprocating action thereof when said package is folded open to maintain said sheet of advertising in the desired position and alignment. 